The low down on Ephemeral content

In today’s switched on society, social networks are doing everything they can to attract and keep the attention of their users. One way of doing this is by using temporary material, also referred to as ephemeral content.

What is Ephemeral content?

According to searchenginejournal.com ephemeral content can be described as ‘rich media, primarily images and videos, that are only accessible for a brief period of time.’ The goal of ephemeral content is to elicit an instantaneous response from its users and increase the user experience of the website through engagement. Interestingly enough, this marketing strategy takes advantage of people’s fear of missing out (FOMO) which results in immediate action. Next time you scroll through Instagram take note of all the businesses asking you to make quick purchasing decisions, they are essentially appealing to your human desire to be included…crazy right?

The concept itself relates both to content that disappears after a certain amount of time (think Snapchat and Instagram stories) and the user’s actual attention span. For example, have you ever watched a Facebook video, and once you laughed or cried, never thought about it again?

The ultimate goal of this kind of content is to encourage user-generated content. By capturing an Instagram story, editing it, and posting it you are essentially creating your own content on the brand’s behalf.

The advantages of Ephemeral content

  • Increases your content volume – by actively participating in ephemeral content you will be able to create more quality content, at a fraction of the time and price.
  • Stay on trends – due to the ease of curating ephemeral content, you will easily be able to stay on-trend and therefore relevant online.
  • Boosts follower loyalty – by interacting with your target audience via ephemeral content you will increase your transparency (allowing potential clients to see your business every day / behind the scenes) with your audience which will ultimately affect your likeability and visibility.

The disadvantages of Ephemeral content

  • Your audience could lose interest – Content that is easily visible is often forgotten; you will need to produce engaging content on a daily basis to keep your followers interested.
  • Your impact – If you are looking to gain long term value with your followers, it takes transparency, dedication, time and money.

Ephemeral content into 2020

As we move into a new decade, ephemeral content popularity among online audiences is predicted to only increase from here. Like all marketing strategies, it is essential that once started to see it through to the bitter end, regardless of the outcome or consequences. To appeal to a digitally active audience, businesses need to find the balance between keeping their target market actively engaged, whilst considering the influx and total saturation of content that the same, overexposed audience, receives online on a minute to minute basis.

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At FireTap Marketing, we can help you build and put in place a robust marketing strategy, reviewing your current activity and delivering a tailored solution suited to your marketing goals. We will ensure your content is constantly SEO optimised, putting you ahead of your competitors and at the forefront of your target audience’s mind.

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